Pączki

Pączki (pronounced poonchkee or pohnchkee) are delish Polish doughnuts that I grew up eating before Lent. In Michigan there quite a community of Polish-Americans and I benefitted quite a bit in the culinary department! The flavor of this dough is so incredible - yeasty/vanilla/spice and the rum gives depth of flavor. Some paczkis are filled with jelly or cream but I promise you, this doughnuts need nothing more than a dusting of cinnamon sugar! Enjoy!
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Ingredients

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packages)

1 1/2 cups whole milk (warm, about 110 F)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup salted butter (room temperature)

1 large egg (room temperature)

3 large egg yolks (room temperature)

1 tablespoon dark rum (I used spiced rum)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour (about 20 1/4 ounces to 22 1/2 ounces)

Peanut oil (for deep-frying)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Add the yeast to the warm milk. Stir to dissolve and set aside.

In a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.

Beat in the egg, egg yolks, rum, vanilla, and salt until well incorporated.

Add 4 1/2 cups flour, alternating with the milk-yeast mixture. Beat for about 4-5 minutes with the screw or dough hook attachment. The dough will be very slack and sticky.

Place the dough in a greased bowl. Turn to grease the other side.

Cover the top with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 hours.

Punch down and let rise again, about 45 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut rounds with a 3-inch biscuit cutter close together so you will have minimal scraps. Remove scraps and reroll and recut.

Cover the sheet with a damp towel and let rounds rise until doubled in bulk, 30 minutes or longer, before frying.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven with a candy thermometer, heat oil to 350 F. Place the risen pączki top-side down (the dry side) in the oil a few at a time and fry 2 to 3 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown.

Flip them over and fry another 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure the oil doesn't get too hot so the exterior doesn't brown before the interior is done - you don’t want the oil to get hotter than 350 F. Test the first one after it’s cooled to make sure it is done all the way through.

Drain pączki on paper towels. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Roll the paczkis in the cinnamon sugar mixture while still warm.

The don’t keep well, 24 hours maybe, so eat up! They are best still warm anyway :)